Невроз – повече от празник. За конструирането на единство и идентичност в кюрдската диаспора
Newroz – More Than a Feast. Establishment of Unity and Identity in the Kurdish Diaspora

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of Newroz for establishing national identity and unity among the Kurds in Sofia. Newroz was an ancient pan-Iranian New Year festival celebrated at the spring equinox, i.e., in time of renewal, and was associated with the life-force of fire. Since 1990 the major Kurdistan party in Turkey the Workers’ Party of Kurdistan (РКК) has presented it as Kurdish “national” feast and “day of resistance”. It has been given а new meaning, based on the myth of tyrannicide rather than on symbolism of spring: As the feast is connected with the Kurdish (Iranian) heroic epic, it establishes associations between the defeat of the legendary tyrant Dahak in the heroic past and the present РКК armed offensives in Turkey. These associations are exploited by the РКК for the legitimation of its own activities (keyword: continuity). In order to reinforce the establishment of national unity the РКК makes efforts to eliminate the factors hindering the intra-Kurdish interaction (cultural boundaries, tribal organization, linguistic and religious diversity etc.) and to build national identity and values. The new collective identity is based on the Kurdish cultural „heritage” and is promoted especially in the diaspora because life in exile offers the opportunity for communication between Kurds coming from different countries of origin. The РКК utilizes Newroz for their ideological socialization carrying out propaganda through political myths and performances of folklore groups dressed in „folk” costumes in the colors of the „national” and military flag. The folk feast bas been turned consequently into а political mass celebration. And the disunity in language, religion and custom seems to be compensated by unity in ideology.

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